What are some laws for paparazzi behavior?

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Paparazzi laws vary by country and state, with laws in California prohibiting paparazzi trespassing, telephoto lenses and pursuing targets in cars, states HowStuffWorks. In general, paparazzi photographs fall under free speech laws, which protect the publication of photographs taken in public for editorial use. However, even under free speech laws, the paparazzi face restrictions at crime scenes and other secured emergency areas, and photo captions that make false or libelous claims may open publications up to litigation.

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Publishing photographs taken in public places where people have an expectation of privacy, such as public washrooms, is also illegal in the United States, explains HG.org. In 2014, California passed additional laws against increased paparazzi activities, such as one law against using drones to take photographs from above, reports International Business Times. Another 2014 law states that photographs of children, when taken without consent, and that "seriously alarms, annoys, torments or terrorizes" the child constitute harassment, states Above the Law.

Anti-paparazzi laws are sometimes controversial, as some worry that if the laws become too restrictive, they could restrict freedom of the press, notes HowStuffWorks. Additionally, some anti-paparazzi laws, such as those passed in California during 2014, may not hold up in court against constitutional arguments of free speech, or against exceptions written into the laws themselves, states Above the Law.